Can bacteria survive in space?
Can bacteria survive in space?
Earth microbes could be contaminating
different planets. Notwithstanding extraordinary purification endeavors,
microorganisms from Earth still figures out how to discover its way into space
on board shuttle. Scientists are working to better understand how and why a few spores elude decontamination.
The research was
based on spore-forming microscopic organisms, which can survive harsh
environments on earth. These microscopic
organisms could hitch a ride on shuttles and contaminate other planets, making
the chase for alien life forms difficult.
Microscopic organisms
taken from the scrumptiously named fishing village of Beer on Britain's south
coast have demonstrated themselves some of the hardiest creatures on Earth - or
in space so far as that is concerned. Microorganisms found in rocks taken from
the cliffs at Beer have survived an exhausting 18 months introduction to space
conditions on the outside of the ISS and returned home alive, becoming the
longest-lived photosynthesizing organisms to survive in space.
The microscopic
organisms were sent to the ISS as a major aspect of an experiment to
distinguish potentially helpful microorganisms that could be utilized as a part
of life-support systems or bio-mining activities on future moon or Mars
missions. The scientists didn't choose the microorganisms particularly, yet
rather sent whole chunks of bacteria-laden rock from the cliffs to the station,
where they were introduced in boxes on the outside of the ISS's Columbus
Laboratory
Out there, the
microscopic organisms were presented to everything from the wild temperature
swings amongst day and night, cosmic radiation, extreme exposure to bright
light, and the impacts of the vacuum of space. For most living cells that is a
destructive cocktail, however while a few microscopic organisms in the rock
died as they were beat on by the brutal space condition, a colony of bugs known
as OU-20 resembling the cyanobacteria family Gloeocapsa survived.
Comments
Post a Comment